


Everything on the Ice (Second Chances)

by purpleeyesandbowties



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Ice Magic, M/M, Magical Realism, SO MUCH FLUFF, i am too emotional about their love, i just chose one to write, idk they fall in love in every world ok, soulmates au kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9285017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyesandbowties/pseuds/purpleeyesandbowties
Summary: There is magic on ice, just as there is love and hate and fear and joy. There is magic on the ice, and sometimes this magic steps in when it is needed.In a thousand worlds, they find each other, time and time again. In one, they do not. (At least, not on their own).





	

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to sasha (@weresehlat on tumblr) for beta'ing this fic and my last yoi fic, Happiest Moments! she did an awesome job and my work wouldn't be quality without her. <3 anyway, have some more sappy and ridiculous fluff from yours truly.

In a thousand worlds, they find each other, time and time again. In one, they do not. (At least, not on their own).

There is magic on ice, just as there is love and hate and fear and joy. There is magic on the ice, and sometimes this magic steps in when it is needed.

In this world, Yuuri doesn’t attend the banquet after his first Grand Prix failure, doesn’t charm Victor with a night of laughter and dancing. He doesn’t perform _Stay With Me_ in Hasetsu and Victor never sees him skate. Because of this their paths never cross,and though in this world , they will skate the same ice and inhabit the same space, but never make the connection they had before. Each doesn’t know what to do with the unfathomable emptiness inside of them. All the memories of their past lives, so irrevocably intertwined, go unremembered by both of them. 

But souls cannot so easily be tricked, and theirs yearn to be reunited.

Everything on the ice is love, and the ice loves back. The lines between worlds  can blend together with the right kind of magic.

Luckily, today holds the right kind of magic.

—

Yuuri made it into the GPF by the skin of his teeth for the second year running; it’s a blow to his pride, but he accepts it without a fight. At least he has another shot at redemption, now. He’s better than he was and he’s ready to prove it. Though he thought he was ready to retire after the disaster  of last year, something inside him pushes to have another season. There is a goal he can’t name waiting for him at the GPF, and for once it isn’t a medal. He makes the cut and breathes a little easier.

Victor is projected to win the GPF for the sixth time, according to 86% of spectators who have been polled in the recent weeks. He can’t bring himself to care. He’s tired. He lost his passion for skating a long time ago—nearly a year, by now—and he decided months ago that this would be his last season. He plans to leave it all out on the ice, all the years he dedicated to the sport he used to love. He plans to take one final bow and disappear from the public eye. He doesn’t think about what he will do after—somehow, that doesn’t seem like anything he has to worry about.

—

Victor skates first in the GPF short program. He feels strange and unfocused as he takes his place in the center of the rink. The first strains of music start— _On Love, Agape_ , and his muscle memory kicks in. As he moves through the program, his mind wanders away from the step sequences and choreography. His limbs feel the phantom of movement, like he’s done this routine before in a slightly different way. In a different time, and a different place.He catches a glimpse of the stands as he lands a triple loop, and is shocked to see it full of people. For some reason he can’t explain, he fully expected to be greeted by simple cement walls in a small, worn practice rink. Why?

He takes a sharp breath, centering himself. _Agape. Unconditional love. Who are you skating for? What does Agape mean to you?_

It’s a question he’s been trying to answer the whole season. And now, halfway through the last performance, he sees a face in his mind’s eye , just as his skates connect with the ice after his signature quad flip. A young man with dark hair and eyes. He knows he’s never met this man before, but his mind cries out in recognition. More images of the man flash through him as he turns into his spin sequence, like snapshots. The man beams at Victor and Victor beams back. More and more of what feel surprisingly like memories fly through him—the man laughing, crying, singing, _skating_. They’re dancing together, running together, bathing together, walking on a beach, and cuddling in a small bed, and exchanging rings, and standing side-by-side on a podium, hands clasped, wearing heavy medals around their necks and—

 

The routine is over. Victor stands in his final pose, chest heaving, hands clasped together and extending towards the ceiling. And he _remembers_. He remembers Yuuri Katsuki, the man he loves, has loved, in another lifetime. So many different times, he’s met and loved Yuuri Katsuki. How did they miss each other? How, when everything he cares about is so fully wrapped up in Yuuri’s existence? And why does he only remember _now_?

 

Tears come to his eyes and he lets them fall. It’s sweet torture, beautiful agony, to be given these memories and not the man in them. Numbly, he bows to thunderous applause. He doesn’t see the flowers thrown to him or the gifts scattered around his feet. He skates towards the exit. Yakov gives him a pat on the back and his blade covers. Victor accepts both without a word. He doesn’t care about the score given to him during the kiss and cry. All he can think about is Yuuri. It’s strange, to suddenly have a lifetime of memories poured into you, but Victor accepts them without a fight. 

Maybe it’s because the hollow in his chest that’s been there for years suddenly feels a little less empty. Maybe it’s because it gave him the mindset to give his best performance of Agape yet. Maybe it’s because once, years ago, Yakov got drunk enough to tell Victor about the magic. (“There is magic in the ice we skate, Vitya,” Yakov had slurred, putting a heavy arm around his shoulders. “We love it and it loves us back. It gives second chances, you know. Chances to make things right again.” At the time, Victor simply scoffed at Yakov’s story of how he, as a young skater, took a bad fall during a performance because of an incorrectly sharpened blade that ended with him unconscious on the ice. He told Victor that he’d woken up, not in a hospital like he’d expected, but in his bed, the morning before the fateful competition, the fall lingering like a nightmare in his mind. Like time had turned back to give him another chance). 

 

All of that had been laughable at the time, but now….now Victor understands. The ice has given him a second chance to find Yuuri. 

Part of him itches to say _fuck it_ and leave the GPF to search for him, but the more rational part of him reminds him that Yakov would actually murder him if he skipped Yuri’s senior debut. So he settles in the spectator’s stands to watch. Four performances pass without incident. Yuri is second to last, and performs beautifully. His score is only a few points below Victor’s. Victor dutifully claps for Yuri and gives him a hug (that Yuri immediately pushes away from), but his heart isn’t in it. Impatiently, he taps his leg with a finger. He only has to hold on until the last performance is over with. Then he can start the search for Yuuri. Wherever he may be in this life.

The last skater takes to the ice. Victor glances up and his breath catches in his throat. He’s out of his seat before his brain catches up to him, already running for the side of the rink. Because there, right there in front of him, is Yuuri Katsuki.

—

Yuuri takes his place on the ice. For once, his nerves haven’t gotten the better of him, though he feels like he’s buzzing with barely-contained anticipation. He knows this program is good and he knows he can nail it. It’s not the type of thing he usually goes for—Yuuri Katsuki is not known for being seductive, no matter what Phichit says he’s like after a few too many drinks—but it’s gotten him this far already. He’s halfway through the piece, at the very end of his step sequence when the first memory hits. Victor, the famous Victor Nikiforov, holds out his hand to Yuuri, buck-ass naked and dripping wet. That mental image is startling enough that Yuuri looses his balance and one of his hands touches the ice coming out of a jump. He shakes it off as more flashes of memory he shouldn’t have bombard him. Victor, eyes soft, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Victor with his arms out, expecting Yuuri to jump into them. Victor, breath fogging in the cold air, greeting Yuuri with a wave and a blinding smile. They’re holding hands, walking their dog on the beach. They’re skating together around the old rink in Hasetsu, laughing. They’re performing a pair skate together, effortlessly taking the lead and handing it back over, and oh, they can’t take their eyes off each other. They’re in love.

 

Yuuri hits his last pose, arms crossed over and touching his shoulders like he’s embracing a lover who isn't there. And then, without really knowing why he does, he turns his head to the side and extends one arm towards the exit to the rink. There, off the tips of his fingers, someone is waiting. 

Victor throws his arms open, staring at Yuuri like he might vanish if he looks away.

“Victor!” Yuuri cries. Relieved tears burn in his eyes as his feet take him to Victor. He almost slips in his hurry to get there. _He’s here, I found him, he’s mine again. He’s here, I found him, he’s mine again,_ his mind practically sings.

Yuuri and Victor crash into each other’s arms. Yuuri stumbles back under the sudden weight, considering he’s still on the ice, but they manage to hold each other up. Victor holds him tight, pressing his face into Yuuri’s sweat-soaked hair.

“Yuuri, Yuuri, you’re here,” he murmurs against Yuuri’s head. Yuuri squeezes him back as hard as he can.

“I can’t believe I forgot you,” he says. “I can’t believe we almost lost each other.”

Victor pulls away, one hand coming up to cradle Yuuri’s cheek. “As if I could live any life and not find you,” he says.

Yuuri smiles, his own hand pressed over Victor’s, holding it in place. “Good,” he whispers. “Because I’ll always be yours.”

And then, not even caring that this moment was being broadcasted to hundreds of thousands of people, Yuuri kisses Victor. He ignores the collective gasp from the audience and simply pulls Victor closer. Their lips slot together like they were made to be. Just like they always were.

“We have to stop having our first kiss on national television,” Victor teases softly as they part. He brushes his nose against Yuuri’s playfully. Yuuri feels a blush rise to his cheeks and he rests their foreheads together.

“And who’s fault is that?” he asks, playfully indignant.

“Yours this time. I will take the blame for the last time, though.”

“Fair enough,” Yuuri replies, and pulls Victor in for another kiss.

Before they can get even more wrapped up in each other, Celestino grabs Victor’s shoulder and rips them apart.

“What the hell is going on?” he says. Yuuri shakes his head as if to clear it.

“Coach Celestino! Sorry, I was just…”Yuuri blinks. No one in this world expects Victor and Yuuri to know each other, let alone to be in love. He can’t exactly say that ice magic caused them to remember another lifetime in which they were married. “Uh…”

Victor, as always, knows what to say. “Yuuri and I have been in a secret relationship for the past season,” he says cheerfully, like it’s not the most blatant lie to ever cross his lips. He pulls Yuuri closer to him and continues, “when I saw his performance, I was overcome with my love for him. I couldn’t help it! I apologize for stealing your adorable pupil.”

Celestino narrows his eyes at Victor for a long moment, considering. Victor is well-known in the skating world for being eccentric, and this isn't even the weirdest thing he’s ever done. It probably doesn’t even make the top ten Victor Nikiforov moments. The only thing that bothers Celestino about it is that there would be no way Yuuri would be able to keep something as enormous _dating Victor Nikiforov_ a secret from him. He is one of Yuuri’s most trusted confidants, and besides that, the boy can’t lie to save his life. But Yuuri meets his eye with an unwavering confidence Celestino isn’t used to seeing from him, and says, “That’s right. I’m sorry, Coach Celestino. I wanted to tell you, but we thought it would be better to keep it quiet until we…well, just for a little while.”

Celestino sighs, rubbing his forehead. He can feel a stress headache building. “I hope you know this isn’t going to be an easy mess to clean up.”

Yuuri nods decisively. “As long as I have Victor, I can handle it.”

As they walk away, arms tucked around each other, Celestino shakes his head. “Where is this confidence coming from? And why don’t you use it on the ice?” he mutters to himself.

He shakes his head once more and sets off to the kiss and cry. He’s getting too old for the drama of the skating world. This kid will be the death of him.

—

In the few minutes they have alone before facing the press, Yuuri and Victor fall into each others arms.

“How is this possible?”

“I don’t know! But I’m glad that—”

“We found each other again, I know! Me too. But how are we going to—”

“Like we’ve done it before, Yuuri. Together. That’s what matters.”

They kiss then, because it’s still new and exciting for all its aching familiarity. Between kisses, Yuuri asks what they should do.

“What are we going to tell everyone? They won’t believe the truth.”

Victor sighs softly. “As much as I’d love to tell the truth, I agree. We’ll have to come up with a story. Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” Yuuri answers.

Then Yuuri lets Victor take his hand and lead him to the press room. A hundred reporters shout questions at them and a hundred camera flashes go off. Yuuri’s grip on Victor’s hand tightens, but he faces the reporters bravely. One that seems to know Yuuri better than the rest asks a question in Japanese. Yuuri says something in response. The reporter nods and repeats his question in English.

“Skater Katsuki, congratulations on your excellent performance. You made a new personal best.”

“Thank you. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s performance as well. Thank you for your continued support.”

The reporter swallows a little nervously. “So, uh, can you tell us about what happened after your performance? You certainly gave the skating world a shock.”

Yuuri turns to Victor almost unconsciously. Victor, ever the showman, flashes a perfect smile. “Yuuri and I have been romantically involved for the past few months. We thought it would be better to keep our relationship quiet for the time being. As you saw, we didn’t quite manage it.”

The room erupts into murmurs as reporters scribble notes down. More flashes go off.

“Victor,” another reporter shouts. “What will this mean for your career?”

“Well, I was expecting to announce this _after_ the Grand Prix Final, but I am retiring after this season. This decision was made separately from my decision to date Yuuri. Yuuri is planning on continuing his skating career and I will be happy to support him.”

Victor pauses, a sly little smirk playing on the corner of his mouth, as if sharing a joke with no one but himself. He continues, “In fact, if he’ll have me, I believe I will be his coach.”

Yuuri shakes with a silent laugh at the inside joke. He leans into Victor’s side, feels him press a kiss to his temple, as the room explodes once again.

No matter what world they’re in, it seems that Victor will always manage to surprise him. 

**Author's Note:**

> as always, i'm sadhipstercat on tumblr, come say hi!


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